During Copa Airlines’ Viaje Inolvidable, children’s dreams come true as they reach for the sky

More than 125 children being helped by the Pro-Integration Foundation, the Juana María Condesa Girls’ Home, and the San Miguel Febres Cordero School soared through the skies over Panama during the 2017 Viaje Inolvidable

For the twenty-fourth time, a team of volunteers from Copa Airlines came together to make Viaje Inolvidable a reality, providing a magical experience for these children.

For more than two decades, Copa Airlines’ Viaje Inolvidable has brought joy to more than 4,000 children across North, Central, and South America.

Panama City, December 7, 2017

Copa Airlines’ twenty-fourth Viaje Inolvidable was a great success, with more than 125 children experiencing a dream come true as they soared through the skies. This year, the boys and girls taking the trip are among the children being helped by the Pro-Integration Foundation, the Juana María Condesa Girls’ Home, and the San Miguel Febres Cordero School.

A team of volunteers made up of Copa Airlines employees, suppliers, and customers came together to make this wonderful initiative possible. They set out to give the children a day filled with delight, including getting to fly in an airplane for the first time in their lives.

The day of the Viaje Inolvidable started off with breakfast at Copa Airlines’ corporate offices in Costa del Este. From there, the children went to Tocumen International Airport, where they boarded a Copa Airlines airplane and took off on a flight over Panama that lasted about an hour. After landing, the children had a great time at a sensational party with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. The party, which was planned by the team of volunteers and the sponsors of Viaje Inolvidable, ended with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus handing out presents provided by Copa Airlines.

“For more than two decades, we’ve set out to make children’s dreams come true during the Christmas season with the Viaje Inolvidable. Of all the trips that Copa Airlines takes, this one is the most fun for our generous and committed team of volunteers. They come together to put smiles on these children’s faces and fill them with hope and aspirations. This is the driving force behind our decision to continue holding this event every year. Our hope is that all of the children will remember this day as one of the best days of their lives, and they won’t forget that it’s possible to make dreams come true,” said Copa Airlines CEO Pedro Heilbron.

“For the children, flying in an airplane is a very special, unique experience that they’ll never forget. It goes to show them that dreams can be achieved, even though they may seem distant at times. So, each of these kids will take home a very important message, in addition to a happy memory. It doesn’t matter what difficulties, challenges, and obstacles we face in life; with hope and dedication, all our dreams can come true,” said Ivette Franco Koroneos, the Copa Airlines Senior Legal Director who is in charge of coordinating Viaje Inolvidable.

The Pro-Integration Foundation strives to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities, especially those of limited means. The foundation also works to defend their rights, by supporting the drafting, enactment, and implementation of inclusive laws, policies, and programs.

The Juana María Condesa Girls’ Home was founded to welcome Panamanian girls who would otherwise be unable to attend school because of their living situations and extreme poverty. The home offers a modest but inviting setting, with a close-knit, family-like atmosphere, where girls are able to learn to live happily, with mutual respect and responsibility. Their focus is on the importance of staying in school and completing their education.

Children and teenagers from the San Miguel Febres Cordero School also took part in Viaje Inolvidable this year. Copa Airlines has supported this school, located in the district of 24 de Diciembre, for years. Students at the school learn that education is key to getting ahead and achieving their dreams.

Also, as always, the children from the Friends of Children with Cancer and Leukemia Foundation who are sponsored by Copa Airlines and Tocumen International Airport were an important part of Viaje Inolvidable. So were the poster children of the 20-30 Telethon.

The first Viaje Inolvidable took place in 1994, with children from the San José de Malambo Home. In the 24 years since then, Copa Airlines has continued to bring smiles to Tocumen International Airport every December. Those smiles belong to children experiencing a dream come true as they board an airplane and soar into the skies—a dream that all of us might have shared at one time or another.

Since 1998, Viaje Inolvidable has also taken place each year in another city served by Copa Airlines. In previous years, children from Barranquilla, Rio de Janeiro, San Jose, Miami, Santiago, Managua, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, San Salvador, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Bogota, Porto Alegre, Santo Domingo, and Havana have taken part. This year, 130 children from Guatemala City also got the chance to take an Viaje Inolvidable and have their dream for flying for the first time come true.